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Lose weight and have better skin with pumpkin!

High in fiber. Low in calories. Packed with vitamin A, antioxidants, flavonoids, leutin, xanthin and carotenes. Pumpkin is one of the most underrated foods in the vegetable family.

Pumpkin is a great “eye food” as it contains 246 percent of RDA for vitamin A, which is a powerful antioxidant required by the body for vision. Pumpkin is also a great source of zeaxanthin, which is a natural antioxidant which protects against age related macular disease (ARMD.)

Pumpkin is also an excellent weight loss food, due to its’ high fiber content. Numerous studies have shown that a diet high in fiber is directly correlated with weight loss. Pumpkin is also rich in potassium, which has been shown to aid in weight loss also.

Want younger looking skin? Put down that expensive bottle of cream and eat pumpkin instead. Pumpkin is loaded with retinol which improves skin cell renewal and production of collagen. With a diet regular in retinol, you can see a reduction in facial lines by up to 75 percent in only two weeks!

I’m having a Christmas Eve party tomorrow night and am making my famous pumpkin pie dip! Shhh…don’t tell my friends and family that I make this with greek yogurt and stevia instead of cream cheese and sugar. This rich dip is so good for you, but tastes like a guilty indulgence. You can serve it inside of a mini pumpkin and surround it with gingerbread cookies and apple slices to make it look festive.

Try it out and let me know what you think!

Light Pumpkin Dip

1 cup nonfat plain greek yogurt

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 packets stevia

1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1 cup canned pumpkin

1/2 container fat-free cool whip

Mix the pumpkin with the yogurt, vanilla, stevia and spices. Gently fold in fat-free cool whip. Refrigerate for at least one hour and serve inside a scooped out pumpkin.